Breaking Curses And Mending Hearts
by NinaGold
Summary: AU. Belle manages to avoid being captured by Regina and makes it back to Rumplestiltskin's castle. She breaks his Curse, but without his powers, they are both in danger of Regina's wrath. They need to find a place where they will be safe and start a new life together.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

"_I'm coming back, Rumple."_

Those were the words Belle had said, her promise to the man she still loved, and to herself as well. And she was always a woman of her word. She would ignore his protests; his declarations that he would never believe Belle truly loved him, that he didn't love her. She knew that was all hogwash. She was determined to make him listen, make him believe that what they had was true, that it was right and good. She would break his curse once and for all. She set out in the direction of the Dark Castle, but before she had taken her first step, she heard horses in the distance. Regina and her men were after her, and they caught her, Belle knew, she would never see Rumplestiltskin again!

Ducking into the woods, Belle hid behind a fallen tree, crawling as far under it as she could. She held her breath, her heart pounding so hard she was sure it would give her away. The caravan stopped, and she could hear Regina ordering her men.

"Find that little wench, no matter what it takes!" Regina was saying. "I don't want her getting back to Rumplestiltskin! She's the only leverage I have, the only weapon I can use against him, I want her!"

Two of the men started searching the woods. Belle stayed as still as possible, praying that they were in too much of a hurry to make a thorough search. She burrowed under the tree as best she could. For once, luck was on her side. They walked by without seeing her.

"No sign of her here, Your Majesty," one of them said.

Regina swore." She slipped through our fingers! Once she gets to the Dark One's castle, she'll be out of my hands!" The men were silent.

"WHY ARE YOU ALL STANDING THERE, GAPING AT ME LIKE MORONS!" Regina screamed. "LET'S GET GOING AND HEAD HER OFF!"

Belle smiled to herself when she saw them head off toward the castle by the main road. Her luck was holding out, for she had discovered a shortcut to the Dark Castle, and she would be safely ensconced there well before Regina could catch her.

When she was certain that none of the men had lagged behind and it was all clear, she stood up from behind the tree and after stretching a minute, she set off, going as fast as she could for the Castle. As the sun was rising, she saw the Dark Castle come into view. She was hungry, tired and still frightened of being caught, but she was not stopping, Nothing, and no one, would ever keep her from her love, ever again. She didn't even bother to knock, pushing the heavy door open as quietly as she could. She walked into the different rooms, unsure of whether or not she should call out to Rumplestiltskin, not even sure if he would be up yet. She checked a few of the rooms and saw no sign of him, so she found a sofa and lay down. Soon she was sound asleep.

She woke up a little while later, and sat up. Seeing a light on in the living room, she crept up to the door, which was open a crack. Sure enough, Rumplestiltskin was seated at his spinning wheel, making gold. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked in.

"Rumple," she said in a low voice, "I'm back."

Heaving a deep sigh, he turned around.

"I saw you sleeping in the other room. Why did you come back? We've been over this, I thought it was settled."

Belle blinked. She hadn't been sure what to expect, he was so unpredictable, but not this. He seemed sad, broken somehow. She knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers.

"I couldn't stay away. I love you, and no matter what you say or do, I know you love me too. I want to be with you, no matter what that entails. We belong together."

He jerked his hands away and stood up so fast he overturned the stool he'd been sitting on. Belle braced herself, remembering his angry, violent outburst when she'd kissed him and the curse had begun to fade, for a few seconds. He turned from her and looked out the window.

"You think it's as simple as that?" he said, his back to her. "You think this is like one of your books, and there will be a happy ending. 'Love conquers all'." He scoffed. "You don't understand anything."  
"I understand that what we have is true love," she walked over and stood behind him and put a hand on his arm, trying to turn him around to face her. He refused to look at her. "Do you mean to say that means nothing to you, that _I_ mean nothing to you?" She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at her. "You can let it go, just like that?"

Rumplestiltskin's face crumpled. He burst into tears, his whole body wracked with agonizing sobs as he sank to his knees. Finally he spoke.

"Of course, I love you," he choked out in anguish. "That's whyI wanted you to leave! How can I make you understand? I love you too much to let you waste your life on me! I wanted you to have a chance at a happy life, a family with someone worthy of you. _That's _what I want for you, Belle! That's what you deserve, and I cannot give you that. There's no future for you here, nothing but darkness and misery."

"What about what _I _want!" Belle was exasperated. No one, not her father, not Gaston, not Rumplestiltskin, had ever asked her what she wanted to do, they just decided what was best for her, without bothering to think that maybe _she_ should have a say in her own life. She knelt in front of him and stroked his head.

"Rumplestiltskin," she said quietly, "Look at me, please."

He raised his head and met her gaze, his own face bleak and hopeless. Belle wiped the tears from his face, and then rested her hand on his cheek.

"There isn't anything I want more than you," she whispered. "You can trust me. I will never leave you, and I would never do anything to hurt you, not on purpose. But please, don't ask me to leave you."

She leaned forward and kissed him. This time, he didn't resist, didn't fly into a rage. She felt a sensation like a sudden, strong wind blowing around them. Rumplestiltskin shuddered, then collapsed on the floor with a groan.

"_Rumple!"_ Belle gasped as he lay on the floor, not moving. For a horrible second, she thought he might be dead. She opened his shirt and checked to see if his heart was beating; it was. Then, in front of her eyes, he began to change. His green, shiny, reptilian skin became the skin of a regular man. This was Rumplestiltskin the man, not the Dark One anymore. When he opened his eyes, they were large, dark brown, and beautiful.

_He was beautiful._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Regina stormed around her bedroom in a rage, kicking, throwing, and ripping up anything she could get her hands on. She'd already had the men who had let Rumplestiltskin's wench escape flogged to within inches of their lives, but it had done little to soothe her fury.

_Suddenly, she sensed something in the air. Magic. She went to her magic mirror, to see what it was. One of the covers Rumplestiltskin usually kept over his mirrors had slipped, just a little. Regina could see, just barely, Belle kneeling over something or someone. Coming closer, Regina saw that it was Rumplestiltskin, but not the Rumplestiltskin she knew of old. Then her lips curled into an evil smirk. So, she chuckled to herself, things had worked out after all, and even better than she'd hoped. Even the Dark One was not immune to the powers of True Love. The simpering little wench's kiss had worked, and now the curse had broken. Rumplestiltskin was now an ordinary man again, and most importantly, _he had no powers!

"_Oh, Rumple," Regina whispered to the image in the mirror, "Didn't anyone ever tell you? _Love is weakness."

Belle knelt over Rumplestiltskin. He looked at her, staring in fixed wonder, seeing her for the first time with eyes untainted by Dark Magic.

"Belle," he whispered, reaching up to touch her face. He looked from her to his own hand, trying to register that it was not the gnarled claw it had been for 300 years. Unbelieving, he felt his own face. He sat up and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the brass panels around the fireplace.

"Belle, it's me," he looked at her again, "I'm me again!"

Belle smiled at him through tears of joy.

"Yes. You're free. The curse is broken."

Rumplestiltskin threw his arms around her. His lips met hers in another kiss. He held her close, stroking her hair.

"My love. My darling Belle," He said, his own tears mixing with hers. Then, suddenly, a realization hit him, like being punched in the stomach and hit over the head simultaneously. _His magic, all his power, was gone! And with it, his only chance of finding Bae! _ Not only that, but there was no telling what that viper Regina would do now. She would probably imprison both of them and torture them slowly, until she finally got bored and had them killed. Of course, there was also the chance that now that Rumplestiltskin was of no more use to her, she would simply let them go on their way, but that was highly unlikely. Either way, he couldn't take the chance. Standing up, he led Belle into the hallway where he knew there was no way Regina could spy on them.

"Belle, you must listen to me," he whispered, "We are not safe here anymore. We must leave this place. When Regina finds out I'm powerless, she'll kill us both. I'll tell you everything, I promise, but now, we have to get away."

"But what about my father, my village," Belle asked him, "What will keep Regina from hurting my people to find us?"

"The Blue Fairy!" Rumplestiltskin knew it was a long shot, but no one else could help them.

They waited until dusk fell, and in the meantime, Rumplestiltskin told Belle all about Baelfire, about how he'd become the Dark One to save his son from the Ogre's War, only to lose him because of his own cowardice, and his thirst for power. Then he'd spent the next 300 years obsessed with reuniting with him.

"Now you'll never see him again, because of me," Belle said. "No wonder you didn't want the curse broken. I'm so sorry, Rumple."

"I am too," he replied, "But I don't care what happens to me anymore. I won't let you suffer because of me. I made that mistake with Bae, I won't do that with you too."

Under cover of twilight, they made their way to the heart of the forest where the Fairies lived.

"Blue Fairy!" Rumplestiltskin called out, "We need your help. If you can hear me, show yourself, please!"

A small blue light appeared in the distance, coming closer until they could make out the form of the Blue Fairy.

"So, Rumplestiltskin, I see your curse has been broken. I felt something happening, like a darkness lifting from the world, and I wondered what it was. Let me meet the one who managed to work such a miracle."

"This is Belle," he replied, taking Belle's hand. "We are in danger and we need your help, Blue Fairy. I beg you to forget all that has passed between us in the past, and help us now."

The Blue Fairy smiled at Belle. "You have done what no one else has been able to do, something I thought no one would ever be able to do. You looked into the blackest of souls and found a small point of light. You loved a Beast no one could love. That is a magic more powerful than any I have ever known." Turning to Rumplestiltskin, she said, "I know why you're here. You need to get away from Regina. Never fear, that is easily done. I'll help you."

"What about my people?" Belle said, "I don't want them hurt because of me."

"Your father and your village won't come to any harm. However, once you leave, you can never come back." The Blue Fairy told her. "While Regina is alive, the only way you can all be safe is to remain apart."

"I made my choice when I made the deal with Rumplestiltskin," Belle said, "But can I say goodbye to my father before we go? I want him to know that I'm all right at least."

"Yes but you do not have much time. Say your farewells, but quickly." The Blue Fairy put a small blue stone in Rumplestiltskin's hand. "This stone will open a door. When you go through it, you will be in a land where you will can start over again, no one will no your past. But remember, once that door has closed behind you, it will not open again."

"Thank you. Thank you for everything." Rumplestiltskin said.

"Cherish this opportunity, Rumplestiltskin," Blue Fairy told him. "You have a fresh beginning, take advantage of it." With that, she faded, and the forest was quiet once more.

Two day's journey found Belle and Rumplestiltskin in Avonlea. Maurice gave a cry of joy when he saw his daughter; He threw his arms around Belle, tears filling his eyes.

"My darling girl, I thought I'd never see you again! How did you manage to get away from that horrible beast?"

"Papa, Rumplestiltskin is not a beast. He's a man who spent years under a terrible curse, but I broke it." Belle explained to her father about the curse, broken by True Love's kiss, and how they were in danger from Regina, and that she had to leave with Rumplestiltskin for another land, forever.

"No! I won't lose you again, daughter," Maurice said. "You cannot do this!"

"Papa, there is no other way," Belle told her father. "I just wanted to say goodbye to you, and tell you not to worry."

Rumplestiltskin stepped forward. "Sire, I assure you, I will devote my every waking moment seeing to it that Belle is safe, and happy. She is my life now, and I love her with all my being, and I will love her until my last breath."

Belle hugged her father again. "I love you, Papa, always. Goodbye."

With that, they left the castle. Rumplestiltskin took the stone out of his pocket.

"Ready?" he asked her.

She kissed him. "I'm ready."

He put the stone on the ground. It stood up by itself, and began to grow bigger and bigger, until finally it was big enough for them to walk through.

Taking a deep breath, Rumplestiltskin took Belle's hand.

"Here we go." With that, the two stepped through the doorway.

**What surprises await the lovers on the other side? Review and follow, and we shall see!**


	3. Chapter 3

Rumplestiltskin and Belle stepped through the doorway. They were standing on a hillside overlooking a small village that was built around an enormous jeweled castle. Everything in this land was so brilliantly colorful; it almost hurt their eyes to look.

"It's beautiful!" Belle gasped.

"But what is this place?" wondered Rumplestiltskin. Hand in hand, they made their way toward the town. Rumplestiltskin was relieved to notice that his leg, so far, was perfectly normal here. As they approached the wall surrounding it, a beautiful woman met them on the road. She had red hair, and she wore a pink dress with a voluminous skirt with little diamonds that glittered in the bright sunlight, and a matching crown. In her hand, she held a long wand. She smiled at them, and her whole being seemed to radiate with kindness.

"Welcome!" she said as she approached them. Her voice was as magical and lovely as she was. "I am Glinda. I know who you are, Rumplestiltskin."

"How do you know my name?" he asked her.

"I was foretold of your coming. I can always know when someone new arrives in my realm."

"Please, where are we?" asked Belle. "What land is this?"

"You are in the Land of Oz, my dear," Glinda told her, "But now, please follow me to my home. All this must be very confusing to you, as it is to me. You must tell me how you came here, and why."

Rumplestiltskin and Belle followed Glinda to her castle. In a small, cozy sitting room, the three of them sat down and Rumplestiltskin told her about the curse, Belle breaking it, and how they had been sent there by the Blue Fairy to get away from Regina.

"I don't know very much about the place you came from," said Glinda, "But I do seem to remember hearing of the Blue Fairy. In any event, you have nothing to be afraid of here. You are now safe, and under my protection."

With that, she stood and kissed Rumplestiltskin and Belle on their foreheads.

"Now you will have my mark, and you will come to no harm."

Over the next days, Rumplestiltskin and Belle got to know Glinda, and some of the citizens of the land. One day Rumplestiltskin was telling Glinda about his land, and more about his Curse, about his life before becoming the Dark One, and about losing his son.

"What scares me about losing my powers is that now I'll go back to being what I was before I became the Dark One." He told her.

"And what was that?"

His eyes began to fill with tears.

"I was nothing. A poor, lame spinner, a coward that was laughed at and no one cared about, no one respected," he spat the words out. "When Belle sees what I really am, maybe she won't love me anymore, and she'll leave me like my wife did. At least when I had my Dark Magic, I had respect. It was the only power I ever had."

Glinda laughed, but it was not a mocking laugh. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair out of his face.

"You know, I once knew a lion who was like you." She said finally.

"A lion?"

"Yes, and like you, he felt like a coward. He had no faith in himself, that he had any power of his own. And like you, he went to a wizard, thinking Magic could somehow change him and make him brave."

"And did it?"

Glinda considered this, trying to choose her words carefully.

"He realized that he didn't need magic. He just needed someone to tell him what he did not yet know."

"What was that?" Rumplestiltskin was more and more intrigued, and baffled.

Glinda looked directly into his eyes.

"It wasn't _courage _he lacked, he just needed to _believe_ in himself," she told him gently, "Like you."

"_Me?"_ Rumplestiltskin scoffed, "I'm a coward, just like my father was. He abandoned me, and I abandoned Baelfire, when I let him go."

Glinda let this sink in for a minute. After a minute she spoke again.

"If the Seer had not told you that fighting in the War would leave your son fatherless, would you have broken your leg anyway, or would you have stayed and fought in the battle?"

"I would have stayed, I suppose. What does that matter?" Rumplestiltskin answered.

"It matters, my dear," Glinda said, "You are not without courage, only faith in yourself. Even the bravest souls feel fear; they just refuse to be ruled by fear. You have the choice: choose to be like your father, a coward, or choose to be your own person. You decide; _who and what will you be?_"

That night, Rumplestiltskin had a strange dream. In it, 3 dark, faceless creatures attacked him and Belle. As they tried to escape, one of the creatures grabbed Rumplestiltskin and threw him to the ground. Then two of them held Belle's arms, while the third drew a long, black sword.

"BELLE! NO!" Rumplestiltskin screamed as he tried to move. _Get up and fight,_ he told himself, _you are not a coward, you are not a coward, YOU ARE NOT A COWARD! _ Slowly, he forced himself to stand, and grabbing a large fallen tree branch, he gave a fearsome yell, swinging the branch, and chased the creatures as they ran away into the woods.

He woke up, sweating, breathless, but feeling exhilarated.

_I can be brave,_ he thought, _I don't have to be like my father, if I don't want to be. I can be strong; I can protect the ones I love. I can be different, be my own person, and I will be!_


End file.
